Despite the current economic recession, you can get ahead of the curve when it comes to your career. Take on a summer internship as a way to gain contacts and get your foot in the door. Although it requires a lot of careful planning and information gathering, obtaining a summer internship can be a wonderful way to avoid summer boredom, while taking on more than just coffee runs and fact-checking.

The first thing to remember before you even consider beginning your research and applying for a summer internship is that you will most likely not be getting paid. You may have to find another job on top of your internship to pay for summer parties and trips to the beach, which means a lot of schedule planning and little free time. Once you have accepted that you will be giving up your lazy, hazy days of summer, you can start taking the steps towards finding the right internship to fit your goals.

Evaluating and planning should be your first plans of action, says online career resource MonsterTrak. The best way to begin this initial step is to talk to people in the know.

Director of International Programs and Career Services at Temple University’s College of Science and Technology, Olga Vilceanu, suggests finding faculty and administrators in the field of study you are looking to pursue, and using those people as valuable resources.

She also advises the students who come to her for internship advice to look immediately to their own classmates. Finding a classmate who has had the internship you are looking to apply for is a direct way to gather more information about what that internship is ultimately going to entail. The old advice, “it’s all about who you know,” usually turns out to be in your favor.

However, knowing people is not the only key to knocking down the internship door. Vilceanu strongly advises that students begin searching for an internship position early to assure that they receive the experiences they hope for.

“Research for an internship as you would research when deciding which college to apply to,” she says. “Before applying to a specific company, see if that company offers online presentations of what they do, and campus recruitment.”

Perhaps most importantly, Vilceanu emphasizes the importance of a fantastic resume, cover letter, and goals letter. To make sure these make or break elements are the best they can be, you should ask for help. Attending resume review sessions at your school’s career center, as well as having faculty members in your field of study read over your resume are great ways to ensure that you have made sure to “cross all your t’s and dot all your I’s.” Nothing can ruin your credentials like typos and smudges within your resume and cover letters.

Having impeccable grammar and experience are essential parts, but many people fall under this same category. Letting a potential employer know who you are and how you stand out from the sea of other internship applicants is key. Says Viceanu, “Have a good story that will get you noticed. Tell employers how you are that different from other candidates, and that you are that much more special.”

She also tells the students who come to her to ask themselves a few important questions, in order to identify their personal goals. What would be the last thing you would hope to leave behind? What truly makes you stand out? What is your dream? What do you hope to accomplish?

The answers to these questions should be the driving forces behind convincing a potential employer to hire you as an intern, and ultimately keep you as a full-time employee.

Vilceanu’s tough love attitude and incredibly valuable advice truly comes into play when she discusses an intern’s performance and duties when they have actually landed the internship of their dreams. She sternly describes that an internship experience is only as good as a student is willing to make it, and that wasting valuable time chatting with friends on Facebook or making photocopies all day are grave mistakes.

“I don’t like it when I have to make work for students to do,” she says. “If they do not make work for themselves, I will make them photocopy.”

This threatening potential reality displays that internships are meant to be much more than photocopying and coffee errands. They are meant to be once in a lifetime learning experiences, that can only be achieved with a dedicated “do-it-yourself” attitude.

“Go there interested, talk to people, make things for yourself to do,” Vilceanu says. “Keep in mind that you are paying for your time and make the most of it.”

An internship experience can land you valuable recommendations to use for future employment, or even a full-time position at your internship location, but it is ultimately up to you to decide what path your experience will take. Spend your time completing menial tasks and running errands, or truly map out the future of your dreams.